(Source: ISRO)
ISRO satellite launch: The GSAT-6A will be launched at 4.56 pm today. (Source: ISRO)
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Thursday launched the GSAT-6A communication satellite using the Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV-F08) from Satish Dhawan Space Centre (SDSC) in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh. The high power S-band communication satellite — which has a lifespan of around 10 years — was blasted off from the second launch pad at the Sriharikota rocket port at 4.56 pm today.
ISRO said that the GSAT-6A was similar to the GSAT-6. ISRO Chairman K Sivan had told news agency IANS that the GSAT-6A would be followed by the launch of navigation satellite which will be in the next fiscal.
GSAT-6A will provide a platform for developing technologies such as demonstration of 6m S-Band Unfurlable Antenna, handheld ground terminals and network management techniques. These are useful in satellite-based mobile communication applications.